One means of improving reliability of a wireless communication network is to provide backup modules or subsystems at each base station. When a piece of equipment in use fails, a backup piece of equipment may readily be switched into operation to minimize any loss of service caused by the failure. While such a design improves reliability, it also increases the cost and complexity of the base station.
Succeeding generations of code-division multiple access (CDMA) and time-division multiple access (TDMA) wireless communication standards and increasing bitrate demands of CDMA and TDMA wireless users are causing wireless service providers to shrink the size of wireless cells. As a result, increasing numbers of base stations are required to cover a given geographical region, with corresponding increases in the amount of redundant equipment installed to improve reliability. The increases in cost and complexity caused by the use of backup equipment are thus aggravated by the increases in numbers of installed base stations.